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The document examines the trade-offs between low-carbon and high-carbon energy pathways in Kenya, highlighting the financial, regulatory, and social challenges of transitioning to renewable energy. It emphasizes the need for a balanced energy portfolio, the integration of decentralized power solutions, and the critical role of stakeholder engagement and transparent benefit-sharing to overcome public resistance to renewable energy projects.

The document examines the trade-offs between low-carbon and high-carbon energy pathways in Kenya, highlighting the financial, regulatory, and social challenges of transitioning to renewable energy. It emphasizes the need for a balanced energy portfolio, the importance of addressing household biomass consumption, and the critical role of community engagement and transparent benefit-sharing to avoid public opposition to renewable energy projects.

The SEI Initiative on Sustainable Sanitation (SISS) promotes a 'whole-system perspective' to sanitation, moving beyond waste disposal toward resource recovery. The initiative focuses on low- and middle-income countries, integrating sanitation with broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve health, food security, and energy production. Key tools developed include REVAMP for urban resource mapping and the 'Clean and Green' model for rural communities. SISS emphasizes that sustainability depends on the synergy between technical hardware and enabling institutional, financial, and social factors.

In November 2013, the Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) conducted a three-day training workshop in Nairobi for Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification Authority (REA). The program aimed to reduce reliance on expensive and polluting diesel generators in rural areas, where the electrification rate was only 5% in 2013. The training covered system engineering, energy audits, and tendering processes to help the Government of Kenya scale up renewable energy integration in remote mini-grids.

The report identifies a 'cusp group' comprising 23% of sub-Saharan Africa's population who earn $2-$5 per day and straddle formal and informal economies. It analyzes three distinct credit market 'faces': South Africa is 'Stuck' due to aggressive formal lending and high indebtedness; Kenya is 'Uncertain' as it transitions from traditional loans to rapid, short-term digital lending; and Ghana is 'Squeezed' by macroeconomic instability and high costs that limit formal credit access. The document argues that 'healthy' credit markets must be accessible, robust, diverse, and value-adding to prevent over-indebtedness while enabling asset accumulation. It recommends that regulators improve market monitoring, invest in digital identification, and introduce mechanisms like 'learner's licenses' for credit to protect vulnerable borrowers.

The document examines the integration of women into the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), highlighting a disconnect between constitutional mandates for 30% female representation and the actual experience of female soldiers. While Kenya has established a National Action Plan for UNSCR 1325 and seen the appointment of its first female brigadier, women remain underrepresented in leadership and are frequently excluded from combat roles due to patriarchal societal norms and a masculinist institutional culture. The report argues that 'gender-neutral' policies often fail to address substantive inequalities, leading to career stagnation and the persistence of sexual harassment within the military.

The document analyzes the transition of the Japan-Africa partnership through the lens of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). It highlights a strategic shift from post-Cold War aid policies toward a stronger focus on trade, investment, and economic strategy, exemplified by the establishment of the Conference on African Economic Strategy under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The text compares Japan's economic footprint in Africa—noting a US$20 billion trade volume in 2015—against China's significantly larger US$180 billion. It further examines Japan's geopolitical motivations, including UN Security Council reform and maritime disputes in the East China Sea, while noting that African nations are leveraging competition between global powers to secure better investment and infrastructure terms.

The report examines the 2015 crisis in Burundi, arguing that while President Pierre Nkurunziza's attempt to secure an unconstitutional third term was the immediate trigger, the situation was underpinned by a long history of government intransigence, systemic repression of the opposition, and corruption. It details the CNDD-FDD's strategy of consolidating power through the 'nyakurisation' method of dividing opposition parties and the use of legislative tools to restrict civil liberties. The document also analyzes the internal fractures within the ruling party, the failure of the Arusha Agreement's power-sharing framework, and the subsequent violent crackdown on protestors, the media, and civil society following a failed coup attempt in May 2015.

In November 2013, RENAC conducted a three-day training session in Nairobi for Kenya Power and the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to improve the design of tenders for PV-diesel hybrid mini-grids. The initiative aimed to address the high costs, supply chain risks, and environmental impacts associated with diesel-only power in rural Kenya, where the electrification rate was only 5% in 2013. The training covered system engineering, energy audits, and tendering, establishing a knowledge base to scale up renewable energy solutions in remote areas.

The document introduces the Impact-Oriented Measurement (IOM) framework, designed to help Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) programmes move beyond traditional monitoring of outputs toward measuring medium-to-long-term systemic changes in financial markets. It advocates for a 'sweet spot' between monitoring and evaluation, utilizing a Theory of Change (ToC) to track causal pathways. The framework employs a dual 'bottom-up' (project-centric) and 'top-down' (sector-wide) approach to evidence collection, emphasizing the need to measure systemic change—defined as transformations in market structures or dynamics that benefit large numbers of poor people. It provides a seven-step implementation process, ranging from ensuring the ToC is evaluable to developing a credible contribution narrative, and suggests a mixed-methods approach to data collection and causality analysis.

The document outlines the legacy of Dr. Mostafa Tolba, who led the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for nearly 20 years. It highlights his role as a bridge between science and policy, his leadership in creating the Montreal Protocol, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the Convention on Biodiversity, and his commitment to integrating developing country perspectives into the global environmental agenda.

The document provides a comprehensive review of Kenya's climate adaptation landscape, highlighting the high vulnerability of its arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) and the dependence of its economy on rain-fed agriculture. It details the national policy framework, including the National Climate Change Response Strategy and Action Plan, and evaluates the role of the 2010 constitution in devolving adaptation responsibilities to 47 counties. The report identifies a strong focus on agriculture and livestock in international adaptation projects but notes significant gaps in addressing the needs of the tourism sector, coastal zones, and urban areas.

The document analyzes the charcoal value chain in Kenya, highlighting the tension between high biomass energy demand and forest loss. It evaluates the role of Charcoal Producer Associations (CPAs) and the potential for improved kiln and stove technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The brief advocates for a coordinated policy approach, including the implementation of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), to transition the sector from an informal, inefficient state to a regulated, sustainable industry that contributes to Kenya's Paris Agreement commitments.

The document argues that the current trajectory of urbanization in the Global South—characterized by rapid population growth outpacing economic growth and the 'urbanization of poverty'—risks locking cities into unsustainable patterns. It proposes a new categorization of cities based on economic productivity and population growth, focusing on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities. The authors contend that providing equitable access to core services (housing, water, sanitation, energy, and transport) is the essential entry point for broader transformative urban change. Using case studies from Medellín and Surat, the paper illustrates how solving a 'seminal problem' can trigger a virtuous cycle of improvement across governance, finance, and planning, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all residents.

The report examines the 'customer journey' of households in Kiambu County, Kenya, adopting Philips advanced cookstoves distributed via the Visionary Empowerment Programme (VEP). It identifies that while trust in local microfinance partners drives initial sign-ups, actual adoption is hindered by a lack of user-centric value propositions, poor fuel supply chains for pellets, and a 'start-up phase' where users struggle with new routines. The study concludes that users often 'stack' stoves, using the advanced model only for specific tasks, and that a holistic approach considering the end-user's definition of 'improved' is essential for achieving health and climate goals.

The document highlights the critical need to transition sub-Saharan African households from traditional biomass to clean cooking energy. It notes that approximately 700 million people currently rely on biomass, causing 600,000 annual deaths and significant economic losses. The paper advocates for a market transformation toward clean stoves and fuels, suggesting intermediate steps such as improved efficiency stoves and sustainable charcoal regulation, while drawing on evidence from Mali, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

African civil society representatives condemn the sudden cancellation of the 2nd Extraordinary Summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) scheduled for September 2015 in Nairobi. They highlight critical failures within the APRM, including a lack of leadership since 2008, financial instability due to member state arrears, and a stagnation in the production of Country Review Reports. The statement urges the APRM Forum Chairperson to reconvene the summit to fill vacant leadership roles, reform funding mechanisms, and increase civil society engagement.

The report evaluates SNV's interventions in four countries, finding that a systemic approach combining user understanding, market linkages, and enabling environments is key to scaling clean cooking solutions. It proposes a revised theory of change emphasizing a trajectory from lower-tier to advanced technologies to achieve health and climate goals.

The study identifies that while Kibera households are acutely aware of the health risks associated with charcoal and kerosene, several behavioural and structural barriers prevent the adoption of cleaner alternatives. Key findings highlight a lack of awareness regarding high-efficiency stoves, price misperceptions due to daily fuel purchasing habits, and the significant role of aspirational thinking and personality traits like risk-taking in technology uptake. The researchers also demonstrate that 'cultural probes' (disposable cameras) are effective tools for eliciting sensitive socio-cultural data in slum environments.

The report details the application of natural capital science and software tools across various sectors to integrate ecosystem services into decision-making. Key examples include the Inter-American Development Bank's infrastructure planning in Latin America, China's massive reforestation and zoning efforts, and corporate sustainability initiatives by Dow, Unilever, and Coca-Cola. It highlights the role of the Natural Capital Project's open-source tools, such as InVEST and OPAL, in quantifying the trade-offs between economic development and the preservation of natural assets like watersheds and coastal habitats.